The Brew Blog

The US Coffee Championships Roasting Championship — how it works, what it tests, and why a USCC medal is one of the strongest single quality signals in American specialty coffee.

The SCA 100-point coffee scoring system — what 87 points actually means, the ten dimensions cuppers evaluate, and how to read coffee scores accurately.

Direct Trade, Fair Trade, and Rainforest Alliance all appear on coffee bags — but they mean very different things. Here's what each label actually signals about quality and ethics.

Global Coffee Awards — the international coffee roasting competition spanning categories and continents, and why an international medal adds a distinct quality signal beyond domestic competitions.

Traceability in specialty coffee is how a cup connects back to a specific farm, lot, and producer. Here's why it matters for quality, ethics, and what's in your cup.

Single origin or blend? Specialty coffee mostly favors single origin — here's why provenance matters more than consistency at the top of the quality spectrum.